A Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network provides wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile devices and data terminals. LTE networks increase the capacity and speed of existing radio access network (RAN) technologies by using a different radio interface with core network improvements. The wireless communication network may include a number of base stations that can support communication for a number of user devices. Generally, when a user device, such as a mobile phone, moves from a proximity of one base station to another, the mobile and fixed components of the LTE network exchange radio measurements and control messages to ensure that the mobile device is always ready to receive and transmit data to and from outside networks, such as the internet or a voice service.
Mobile network operators design wireless networks with an emphasis on conserving battery power at the user devices of its subscribers and permitting brief data interruptions when the mobile device transitions from one base station to another. Specifically, LTE mobile user devices have a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Idle mode where the user device autonomously makes switching decisions driven by policy provided by the mobile network operator or built into the modem of the user device. For instance, the network policy may instruct the mobile device to switch from a current base station to a target base station when a signal quality of the target base station is greater than that of the base station by a threshold amount. Moreover, LTE mobile user devices have an RRC Connected mode where the mobile device has an active connection with a particular base station. Conversely to the RRC Idle mode where the mobile device makes mobility decisions, the base station makes mobility decisions when the user device is in the RRC Connected mode by instructing the mobile device to imitate a handover to a different base station.
Mobile network operators design mobility so that mobility works well within a network type, e.g., by switching from one LTE base station to another, and across network types, e.g., switching from an LTE base station to a GSM base station. Moreover, the deployment of additional LTE networks administered by enterprises of entities separate from the mobile network operator is increasing. For instance, a shopping venue may deploy a neutral host LTE network via one or more access points within its boundaries for providing wireless content to its providers. Here, the user device may support dual connectivity to either of the LTE networks for connecting to an outside network (e.g., the internet). However, integrating and tuning the two LTE networks to allow for the user device to transition between the two LTE networks in a power-efficient manner with only brief data interruptions can be problematic. For instance, the base stations (e.g., access points) associated with each of the LTE networks include different administration and management systems, making it burdensome for the mobile network operator to implement integration with each of potentially millions of disparate neutral host networks deployed by multiple enterprises.